As one of author Lynn Becker’s critique partners, I have to tell you that her tuneful stories can keep you humming and tapping long after the meeting! But it’s not all fun and songs, she tweaks and fine-tunes until every word is just right and the story sings! Congratulations on this fabulous book, Lynn! And … More Mining for Heart: “Tune + Topic = the Heartbeat of Story” by Lynn Becker
Visiting a place is magical, but authors can’t always do that to research a story. Here’s a fantastic post from author Colleen Paeff on how she landed on the heart of her puffling rescue story in Iceland, along with some tips for how to get a sense of place, people, and the heart of a … More Mining for Heart: “Finding a Story’s Heart in the Place Where it Happened (and How to Get There Without Leaving Home)” by Colleen Paeff
Finding your own deep connection to a person, topic, or event can create the path to finding the heart of the story. In this post, author Gary Golio shares his experience with his latest release, SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOHN CAGE. GIVEAWAY! We’ve got a copy of SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE … More Mining for Heart: “Kindred Spirits”—Gary Golio on Silence Sounds Simple
The pandemic a few years ago put us all in the throes of history and pushed thinking in many ways, not only medically, but also regarding human connections. And here we have a children’s book by Zewlan Moor impacted by creative greetings that widened the scope of greetings in the animal world. Giveaway!! Leave a … More Mining for Heart: “Widening the Scope of an Animal Concept Book” by Zewlan Moor
Any kids who fill their pockets with rocks definitely need this book! In this post, Melissa Koch shares the spark that started STONE BY STONE: A ROCK’S JOURNEY THROUGH TIME and how she revised for the heart in this engaging approach. GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of STONE … More Mining for Heart: “The Heart of a Story Starts with a Spark” by Melissa Koch
I’m hopping on The Children’s Book Review blog tour bandwagon for author Lauren Kerstein and her amazing new release: HOPE RODE: THE PROMISE OF THE PACKHORSE LIBRARIANS! GIVEAWAY! Don’t miss the special opportunity below to win a signed copy of HOPE RODE from Lauren Kerstein! Congratulations to Teresa Robeson, the winner of a copy of … More Mining for Heart: “The Promise of the Packhorse Librarians” by Lauren Kerstein
I “met” Anne Lambelet when she created phenomenal art for CLOAKED IN COURAGE: UNCOVERING DEBORAH SAMPSON, PATRIOT SOLDIER. Today you get a peek behind and inside Anne’s latest release, I’M A DUMBO OCTOPUS! A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO CEPHALOPODS. I have to tell you, it’s totally fun! And I learned a lot! GIVEAWAY! Anne is gifting … More Mining for Heart: “Diving Deep Past First Impressions” by Anne Lambelet
Author Andrea Wang’s latest book is beautiful in text and art, and at the same time heartbreaking and inspiring. The path to the heart of WORTHY: THE BRAVE AND CAPABLE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIERCE she shares here is such a perfect example that shows how “heart” arises from the connection between author and research, that … More Mining for Heart in the Absence of Compassion: WORTHY: THE BRAVE AND CAPABLE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIERCE by Andrea Wang
I too am enamored with the view of the Rocky Mountains. Along with the wonder they inspire, somehow, they anchor you. In writing the story of a piece of land, Stacy Jensen faced the challenge of finding the heart of a story about something that’s not human. Here she shares the process of writing BEFORE … More Mining for Heart: “Digging into the Heart of the Land” by Stacy S. Jensen
When author Marsha Diane Arnold discovered a tale of a steam engine that seemed to have a ready-made story arc, she still had to find a way to embed “heart” to emotionally connect readers to the story. How do you do that with a huge steel machine? Check out Marsha Diane Arnold’s post and… Be … More Mining for Heart: “Finding the Heart of a Locomotive in BIG BOY 4014” by Marsha Diane Arnold
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 